Chapter 705 - Reconciliation
Glittering red flames danced at the edge of my vision, and a pitiful scream reached my ears.
Just as I'd trusted and expected, it looked like Onee-sama would handle things on her end. Feeling the heatwave reaching all the way over here raising the stage's temperature by the second—
""—Ooooraaaaaaaahhhh!!!""
Over here, the voltage was rising ceaselessly as well.
Original owner and usurper. Now that both of us harbored the black flames, the restriction of 'touch and you're out' had been lifted, leaving nothing but a head-on brawl.
Facing off were countless 'threads' and two 'fists'.
Thread-blades sliced through the air, and fist-strikes tore them to shreds. The clashing black flames melted into each other, painting a picture like a black rose in the air before bursting apart. While our voices were, regrettably, both those of young girls, we let out shouts that must have been filled with power and spirit.
Without retreating, without flinching, we each swung our skills as our hearts desired.
"Whoa, close—?!"
And then, in a momentary opening. As I dodged the executioner's threads that shot out from all directions like a guillotine, my footing felt off. What's going on? I instinctively looked down… and my eyes widened.
The floor was floating. Or to be more precise,
"Heh, welcome…!"
"You've got to be kidding me…?!"
Thin sheets of 'thread' had been densely laid and woven onto the stage floor—no, you're joking, senpai. While we were clashing so intensely, when in the world did you set up a trap like this…!
"[Rocket]—"
"Too slow!!"
And so, my escape was both in time and not in time. I managed to avoid getting my legs caught in the trap as it twisted and contracted like a flower bud closing in reverse, but…
"Okay, caught ya…!"
This was different from when I had boastfully grabbed a handful of severed thread remnants right after releasing [Hellgread Ignis]. This time, I had fully touched a 'thread' connected to the fingertips of its master, the [Thread-Weaver]—which meant.
"Oh, this is bad."
It meant I was now bound by an unbreakable shackle, just like the 'shadow' of the bracelet on my right arm. The 'mark' wrapped around the ankle of my right leg, the one that had stepped on the thread-disguised floor, was proof.
One of the authorities of the unique title 'Thread-Weaver', [Ember Kitty], was 'Enmusubi'—the 'prey' tied by this ominous, dimly glowing red thread…
"Alright… you can't run anymore. You'd better prepare yourself."
"…Natsume-senpai, you've been looking pretty scary for a while now."
"Death sentence."
"That sounds serious…!!!"
…is drawn to her weapon, which harbors the black flames.
In other words, from this point on, not only would my avatar be unable to evade, but it would be pulled toward her 'threads', making it truly impossible to act properly.
This was the very reason I had been so cautious not to touch her 'threads' directly since the last Four Pillar War, and it was the reason why the [Thread-Weaver] was feared not only by mages but by warriors as well.
Touch her, and it's over. That was no exaggeration, but a fact.
"…"
It wasn't that I'd let my guard down; this person was just, at the most fundamental level, a bad matchup for me. While she was making a lot of noise, the core of her mind was completely calm. She wove layers upon layers of strategy, her surface-level attacks never letting up for a moment, making me nod in agreement with her public reputation over and over.
'Genius'… I see. She truly is an exceptional combatant, on par with our faction's invincible samurai. Someone I, who am often teased for being 'sloppy,' should learn from. A true senpai—
"…I can tell, you know."
"Huh?"
Even if I countered her dark flames, she wouldn't be neutralized so easily; otherwise, she wouldn't be a 'ranker.' As if to prove that point, she created this situation and cornered me perfectly. The [Thread-Weaver] laughed. It was an annoyed, dissatisfied laugh, but if I wasn't mistaken,
"Even with this, you can still do something about it, can't you? —As expected of the princess's prince."
…it was also faintly tinged with amusement.
"The fact that I'm not pissed off is what's really pissing me off. I can't help but understand why you got so strong, how you got this far."
Her expression was the same as before, yet different. The brusque, clumsy, and dishonest senior, like a little kitten, looked at her junior's (my) face with a resentful gaze, and asked,
"—Are you having fun?"
"Eh? —Well, yeah. This is the best."
She snorted at me, who had answered her question without a shred of doubt or hesitation.
"Thinking I could show you my cool side was a mistake from the very beginning."
Her atmosphere remained unchanged, like a kitten trying its best to act tough.
"—Here I come, junior (Haru). Your senpai (I) will play with you."
She smiled confidently and unleashed her threads (claws).
…To be honest, I don't really get what she's saying. But in this moment, what's needed isn't to search for the meaning of her words, but simply to accept her spirit.
—One minute remaining until the match ends. A good time to head for the finale.
Threads danced, and black flames leaped. The woven brilliance of black and white began to form something enormous. It wasn't a complex shape; it was a perfect circle that pursued simple mass and destructive power.
"[Woven Star]."
Burning with darkness, it was a small full moon looked up to by a kitten. From this star, which even recreated gravity with its bound flames, there would be no escape, no matter how much I struggled now.
In that case, I'll follow her words and,
"…What's with that? See? I knew we could get along."
…gladly and enthusiastically accept her incredibly fun invitation to play.
In my left hand, which now harbored the magic-devouring black flames, I manifested a jade blade. Thanks to the effect of [Hellgread Ignis], my avatar and its power activation medium, [Sakura Hanaori], have gained resistance. However, everything else… namely, my other armaments, are outside the scope of magic reception.
In other words, if I hold it in this state, my equipment will naturally burn away. The reason I've been fighting the [Thread-Weaver] bare-handed since transitioning forms, and why I've discreetly moved my rabbit tanto, scabbard and all, from my waist to my inventory, is because of this.
As expected, the moment I took hold of [Samidorizuki], the black flames bit into it—but there was no problem. I just needed to unleash my 'technique' before the sword burned away.
This supreme blade was forged by my master, the [Sword Saint]. It would never break, never chip, born only from the wish to remain by her disciple's side. This jade blade,
"'Prototype Strike'—"
…has never once failed to meet my expectations.
I took an iai stance, scabbard in hand.
One, two, and three. I linked the power gathered in my body, scabbard, and blade to form the sword. A single strike, still terribly incomplete… no, a single strike for which there is no guarantee of completion.
Now, I unleash it upon the falling 'star'.
"—[The Hearth]."
◇◆◇◆◇
Her vision went white, and the sound vanished. That's how overwhelming it was—a 'flash' similar, yet distinct, to one she was familiar with as a member of the Southern Faction erupted, and the 'star' disappeared.
She didn't see him release the sword, couldn't possibly follow the trajectory of the blade. All she saw was the jade blade being sheathed once more in an instant… and even that fleeting image vanished in a flash.
In Natsume's dazed vision was the face of her junior, now smiling right in front of her. Then, with a startlingly anticlimactic, light thud, a crimson blade embedded itself in her chest.
He had ridden the pull of gravity instead of resisting it, countered her ultimate move with one of his own, and carried that momentum all the way here. Her junior's face—was stained with a pure, innocent smile that was, to the very end, infuriating.
"…, …………Hah."
Just as a ridiculously massive tower of red flames erupted in the distance, the bell signaling the end of the match rang out… and her will to complain or lash out had completely vanished.
"…You're really something else, my junior. I wish you'd give me a break."
"Well, I think my senpai is pretty something else too, you know?"
In response to her own drained smile and voice, she was met with a cheeky yet friendly grin… and if she, as a magnanimous senior, took a hundred, a thousand, a billion steps back and looked at him,
"I'll definitely show you my dignity as a senior someday, so you'd better be ready."
"Eek, scary…"
…perhaps cherishing this absurdly innocent and naive 'cute junior,' who simply pushed forward in search of 'fun,' wasn't so bad after all.
The kitten, having sheathed her crown and cut her 'threads,' finally let out a relaxed smile.
Youth.